Prometheus

Prometheus was a Great Basin bristlecone pine growing near the tree line on Wheeler Peak in eastern Nevada, later recognized as the oldest known non-clonal organism then identified. Studied during mid-20th-century research into ancient trees and past climates, it was cut down in August 1964 after coring failed to produce a complete sample. Later analysis estimated its age at 4,862 years from a trunk section taken above the germination point, with the full age likely at least 5,000 years. Its loss became a lasting conservation warning, helping spur stronger protection for bristlecone pines and the Wheeler Peak groves.

Baker, Nevada · United States